I can't complain about the first 12 weeks of this pregnancy - overall, the baby's taken it easy on me! But the past 6 days, fatigue has hit me like a frieght train. So basically, it's been a very long week and I've been very short on patience.
Today, however, has been a total gift from God. All day long, the kiddos have just been a joy - and a total riot! I started laughing at breakfast and I guess that set the tone for the rest of the day. It was all because of things like . . .
. . . Zekers sitting at the breakfast table saying "What's up, Dog?" between bites of oatmeal. . . Karis, noting that Zekers was getting laughs, repeating "Up, Dog" and looking very pleased with herself
. . . Going downstairs to investigate some banging sounds and finding Zekers and Karis happily playing in the dryer
. . . Rachel donning her princess nightgown and some clashing leggings at around 2 in the afternoon, and thinking she's the queen of fashion
. . . Zekers donning a fireman's hat and cowboy vest and trotting off to save "Princess Sweet Charms" (Where does he come up with this stuff?)
. . . Karis, so proud of herself because she discovered Rachel's play makeup and smeared it all over her face
. . . Trying to practice guitar and Zekers begging me to play his favorite song, There She Goes Again
. . . Rachel & Zekers pretending they just got married, and Rachel telling me that the only problem with her new husband was "He's just too bossy." (Ironic, considering the source)
. . . Zekers figuring out he can sneak in "bad words" by saying he doesn't want to say them. ("Mommy, I don't wanna say 'Shut up'"; "Mommy, it's bad to say 'Crap'"; "I don't like it when I say 'butt'".)
. . . All three munchkins sitting in laundry baskets watching Cinderella (I stopped asking "Why" a long time ago)
. . . Rachel making me go into the bathroom to count her poops (8) so she could brag about how many she produced
. . . Zekers making up words and phrases all day long, and, when questioned as to their meaning, replying (every time), "It means that you click something."
. . . Karis yelling "Bye-bye, Dada!" out the front door as Danny left for his class tonight. She has a special smile just for her daddy, and it melts my heart to see it.
Several months ago, after listening to a John Piper sermon from a Together for the Gospel conference that Danny attended, I decided to change my response when the kids (or anyone) thank me for doing something for them - which they're pretty good at remembering to do. I realized today that they really are listening, as I began to change the fourth poopy diaper for the day and muttered under my breath, "Why am I even bothering with this? It'll just be dirty again in 20 minutes." Zekers immediately replied, "Because it's your pleasure, Mommy."
So, in spite of some occasional fighting, whining and scattering piles of clean laundry throughout the house, it's been a good day. Laughter certainly can be therapeudic.
11 comments:
You sure do have a good Blog in here. A photolog at times.
What a delight to read! Keep on finding the joy amidst what could become drudgery!
What a fun mission field you have before you!
this post had me laughing the whole time! I'm just picturing Zekers running around all dressed up saving "princess sweet charms"...I miss babysitting just your three, making tents in the living room, and praying with them at the dinner table and before bed...i get so much enjoyment from your kids!
not only do they provide all this laughter, but one day they'll make you rich. you are going to have sooooo much material for a book!
i found myself in a similar situation today. i had the four nanny kids at arby's, and for the umpteenth time, they were asking me how it is possible that my YOUNGER brother is getting married, and i am not. "lawen, when WILL you be getting mawied?" "don't you WANT to EBER get mawied, lawen??" (surprisingly, many adults have used their own words to ask these questions of me lately...)
i was stressed out from being at arby's with four kids and a cold, and i was getting a little impatient with the line of questioning. but then the littlest (ava, age 3), who is also sick...looked at me with giant tears and said: "lawen, nobody's eber gonna wanna mawy me!" i choked on my root beer and told her that she'd have boys lining up to marry her, and she said "no, only daddy!"
it was classic. and hilarious.
Lauren, that's too funny! Kids have such goofy ideas about marriage . . . and so do many adults, for that matter!
I think pretty much no matter what stage of life you're in, you get comments from people. If you're single, you get comments about not being married; if you've been married more than 1.8 years, you get comments about not being pregnant; if you have more than 1.8 kids, you get comments about birth control; and if you're about to have a baby, you hear everyone's labor horror story. If you're raising a family, you get comments about your parenting style . . . I think in general, people are just either trying to "help" or trying to make conversation, and it doesn't really work in either case!
Your 4 kids sound like a riot. Best of luck with the last several weeks of school!!
charity, i love you. you make it feel ok to be me.
the end.
Great post, Charity! I liked Zeker's Piper reference...I enjoy that site too, but must have missed that article! Very good point on the 'stage of life' comments too. We currently get the "Oh, you guys must be done now" comment often along with the quick glance of eye contact almost daring us to say we aren't. I generally shrug and say "Maybe". :)
Yeah, it is kind of fun to mess with people that way. :-)
Actually, the Piper thing was from a sermon he preached at Together for the Gospel in April 2006. I would have linked to it, but there is a cost (not sure what) to download it. Danny bought the CD at the conference. It's one of those messages you could listen to several dozen times and still glean new truths from it. The book Desiring God is at the top of my list of books I want to read this year.
I'll be very interested to hear what you think of it. I found it very hard to get into at the beginning, then hard to put down through the middle, then my interest kind of 'petered' out again at the end. But overall there was alot to think about, and I think it really changed me and caused me to reevaluate my relationship with God.
:):) The picture of Kari Bou and Zekers in the dryer made me smile and remember......LLLOOOONNNNGGGG time ago, I couldn't find BJ. ( He was probably 2-3 yrs old) I looked all over the house... Kind of getting worried...I went back into the kitchen and heard somehthing in the laundry room, went in and there he was in the dryer!! Ha!! I will NEVER forget that! Thanks for the memory!! :) lg ps... I have a picture of that too!!! :)
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